Poultry gizzard skinner



Dec. 29, 1953 M. DARROW ETAL POULTRY cxzzmn sxmnsa Original Filed Dec. 12, 1949 mun-11m JHVENTORS j1errizl I. Dan-ow Guy E. 3 z'ddz'nger William J. Patterson 4 TTORNE Y Reiuued Dec. 29, 1953 Merritt I. Darrow, Chicago, Guy B.

Biddinger,

Bellwood, and William J. Patterson, La Grange,

111., assignors to Swift & Company,

Chicago,

111., a corporation of Illinois Original No. 2,620,510, dated December 9, 1952,

Serial No. 132,638, December cation for reissue Junel'l, 1953,

12, 1949. Appli- Serial No.

omits. (Cl. 17-11) Matter enclosed in heavy brackets appears in theoriginal patent but forms no part. of this reissue specification; matter printed in italics indicates the additions made by reissue.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for removing the lining from poultry gizzards.

In the dressing of poultry for the market, particularly that which is to be cut up, packaged, and frozen before distribution, it is desirable to have each portion of the bird completely prepared for cooking. The product is more salable if all the housewife has to do is to place it in the pans and cook it. To this end the gizzards of the birds are cut open and the inner lining of the gizzard removed before it is packaged and frozen.

' particularly in Fig. 3. The portion'of the The principal object of the present invention is the quick and easy removal of the gizzard line ings to speed the processing of poultry and to reduce the cost that is involved. A prototype of the present invention operated under normal plant condition will remove the linings of from 1200 to 1300 gizzards per hour. The saving in labor cost for a nominal capital expenditure is substantial and many of the employes presently working at this task may be transferred to other duties in connection with the processing of the poultry.

Other vice which is sufficiently simple to operate so that no special skills or operations are required of the employes; a device which will not clog or jam and which is simple and easy to clean at the end of a period of use; a device that is readily adapted for use with a power feed mechanism to carry the gizzards to and through the device; a device that is low in initial cost; and a device that will have little wear and requires substantially no maintenance.

Additional objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

Fig. l is a perspective'view of an embodiment of-the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevational section taken on the line 2-4 of Fig. 1, lookingin the direcobjects and advantages include: a deveyor or chute It. The various parts of the device are mounted on a frame, generally 11.

Each of the rollers i0 and ii is formed with a plurality of spaced annular ridges l8 having a generally cylindrical configuration and having two sides and a gizzard supporting surface on the periphery between the two sides. The rollers are journaled in frame il in such a position that the ridges of one of the rollers interdigitate with the ridges of the other of the rollers as illustrated frame within which the rollers are a'ournaled forms a bearing means for the rollers with the portions of the rollers iournaled therein forming an axle means for the rollers.

Ridges ii are slightly smaller in thickness than the width of the grooves, the intermediate spaces between the ridges. The maximum radius of the generally cylindrical ridge plus the maximum radius of the portion of the shaft intermediate of the ridges is slightly less than the distance between the longitudinal axes of the two rollers.

Thus, a clearance is provided on all sides betion of the arrows, with parts broken away and showing the feed plate in dotted lines in adjusted position; and

Fig. 3 is aplan view of a portion of the pulling rollers.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, our invention includes a pair of rollers I0 and II which are rotated in opposite directions by a power means, generally 12. cut open, is placed with the lining |3a down on a feed plate It over which the gizzard is moved to the rollers I0 and II. After the gizzard lining has been removed, it is discharged over a con- The gizzard l3, which has been tween the interdigitating pairs of ridges. A clearance of approximately .003 of an inch between the periphery of the ridges and the bottom of the grooves, and .0015 of an inch between the sides of adjacent interdigitating ridges will be found to be satisfactory although this may be varied somewhat in some embodiments of the invention.

The peripheries of the ridges l8 are knurled and have a plurality of transversenotches 19 cut therein. The notches IS in adjacent ridges I8 are staggered as illustrated in Fig. 3. The size of the notches is approximately 1 wide and deep.

In some embodiments of the invention the knurling or use of the notches l9, or both, may

be disposed of. Rollers which do not have a roughened surface at the periphery of the ridges are safer in use because there is little likelihood of tearing or otherwise "abrading the fingers of the operators who are feeding the material into the machine. I

However. the lack of the roughened surface slows down the operation of the machine inasmuch as the operator is required to take additional time to insert an edge of the gizzard lining into the line of juncture 2| between the rollers. Furthermore, should'only a portion of the lining be torn off, as sometimes happens, the operator must again insert an edge of the remaining lining into the line of juncture it to remove the remainder of the lining.

When the peripheries of the rollers are roughened, as illustrated in Fig. 3, feeding of the skin into the line of juncture is automatically performed by the contact with the rollers. Even if only a portion of the lining should be initially removed, the rollers will again catch the remainder of the lining and pull it between the rollers.

The power means I2 includes an electric motor 26 and a suitable gear mechanism in gear case 21. Rollers l and II are connected to the gearing within cas 21 so that the rollers will rotate in opposite directions with the rollers turning inwardly toward each other in the area across which the gizzard is passed for the lining to be removed. The rolls preferably turn at a relatively low speed (about 230 R. P. M.) although the exact speed is not particularly critical and may be varied within reasonable limits.

Feed plat I4 is formed with a pair of side members 29 having a rounded nose with an opening Ill therein to fit around the shaft portion of roller [0. This structure permits the feed plate It to be pivoted about substantially the same axis as the longitudinal axis of roller HI and maintained approximately parallel to the roller axis. A bracket 3| attached at one end to frame 11 by means of a pin 32 permits th angle of the table to be fixed with respect to the pair of rollers ill and II. Bracket II has a slot 33 to receive a clamping bolt and a wing nut 34 in a well known manner. By loosening the wing nut 34 the feed plate It may be raised or lowered to a desired angle. If the incline of plate I4 is sufllcient the gizzards l 3 may be moved down the plate I by gravity.

As the pair of rollers grasp the gizzard lining and pull it away from the gizzard down between the pair of rollers, the gizzard is supported by the top of the rollers and is moved across from feed plate ll to the discharge conveyor or chute It. The chute is attached to frame H, as by means of a two piece bracket 31 having a connecting pin 38 therein. The chute it may be pivoted about pin 38 with respect to frame l1. The ability to pivot the chute away from the pair of rollers facilitates the cleaning of the machine at the end of a period of use. The gizzards are discharged down the chute into a suitable receptacle (not shown) by means of gravity. Below the rollers there is provided an opening 89 in frame I! to allow the linings to fall into a suitable receptacle (not shown).

To facilitate the cleaning of the machine and to strip any linings from the rollers should the former tend to stick to the rollers and revolve therewith there is provided a pair of combs 42 which contact the shaft portions of the rollers intermediate of the ridges It. The combs are mounted on pillars I! of frame i1 and are attached thereto by stud bolts 44 so that the combs may be removed for cleaning if so desired.

As has previously been explained, the feed plate It may be inclined to allow the plate to act as a gravity conveyor to feed the opened gizzards II to the rollers. It will be apparent that with feed plate It in a horizontal position a number of power mechanical conveying devices may be used to move the gizzards to the rollers. With a roughened periphery on the rollers the hand feeding of gizzards to the rollers is not recommended because of the danger of injury to the operator. Since the rollers do take a hold of the lining and move it down to the line of juncture 2| where it can be securely gripped between the interdigitating ridges, power feeding means may 4 be readily used and an operator is not required to insert an edge of the lining between the rollers. If the gizzard is allowed to remain on top of the rollers, an abrading action will take place.

However, the removal of the gizzard lining is a'ccomplished by reason of the lining becoming pinched between the adjacent ridges of the rollers and being pulled from the glzzard proper down through the pair of interdigitating rollers where it is discharged through opening 39. By reason of this action the lining is removed without any material deleterious action on the gizzard proper.

We claim:

1. A device for removing the lining from poultry gizzards, said device including a frame, a pair of rollers each having a plurality of spaced annular ridges thereabout, said ridges having two sides and a gizzard supporting surface on the periphery between the two sides, said rollers being journaled in said frame with the ridges of one roller interdigitating with the ridges of the other roller with the sides of the ridges of one roller immediately adjacent the sides of the ridges of the other roller with an interstice therebetween, and power means connected to said rollers to rotate said rollers in opposite directions of rotation.

2. In a device for removing the lining from poultry gizzards, a pair of rollers, each .of said rollers having a plurality of annular ridges thereabout forming grooves therebetween with the ridges of one roller fitting into the grooves of the other roller, said ridges having a face, at least a portion of which is generally parallel to the roller, and being only slightly smaller in I thickness than the distance between the two ridges on the other roller with which it interdigitates to provide a small clearance between adjacent interdigitating ridges, the radius of each of said ridges plus the radius at the base of the groove into which the ridge fits being slightly smaller than the distance between the longitudinal axes of the two rollers, and power means connected to said rollers to rotate said rollers in opposite directions of rotation.

3. A device for removing the lining from poultry gizzards, said device n lud n a m a pair of rollers each having a plurality of spaced annular ridges thereabout, said ridges having two sides and a gizzard supporting surface on the periphery between the two sides, said rollers being journaled in said frame with the ridges of one roller interdigitating with the ridge of the other roller with the sides of the ridges of one roller immediately adjacent the sides of the ridges of the other roller with an lnterstice therebetween, power means connected to said rollers to rotate said rollers in opposite directions of rotation, a feed plate adjacent one side of one of said rollers, projecting generally away from the other of the rollers, and in a plane substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said rollers whereby opened gizzards may be moved with the lining down across said plate to said rollers where the rollers will grip said lining and pull it between the rollers away from the gizzard, and means to the other side of said rollers to receive the processed gizzards and to direct them into a suitable receptacle.

4. A device for removing the lining from poultry gizzards, said device including a frame, a

. moved with the lining 'dinal axis of from the other of of one roller interdigitating with'the ridges of the other roller with the sides of the ridges of one roller immediately adjacent the sides of the ridges of the other roller with an interstice therebetween, power means connected to said rollers to rotate said rollers in opposite directions of rotation, a feed plate adjacent one side of one of said rollers, projecting generally away from the other of the rollers, and in a plane substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said rollers whereby opened gizzards may be down across said plate to said rollers where the rollers will grip said lining and pull it between the rollers /away from the gizzard, said plate being rotative about an axis substantially coinciding with the longitusaid one roller, means to hold said plate in various position of rotation, and means to the other side of said rollers to receive the processed gizzards and to direct them into a suitable receptacle.

5. A device for removing the lining from poultry gizzards, said device including a frame, a pair of rollers each having a plurality of spaced annular ridges thereabout, said ridges having two sides and a gizzard supporting surface on the periphery between the two sides, said rollers being journaled in said frame with the ridges of one roller interdigitating with the ridges of the other roller with the sides of the ridges of one roller immediately adjacent the sides of the ridges of the other roller. with an interstice therebetween, power means connected to said rollers to rotate said rollers in opposite directions of rotation, a. feed plate adjacent one side of one of said rollers, projecting generally away the rollers, and in a plane substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said rollers whereby opened gizzards may be moved with the lining down across said plate to said rollers where the rollers will grip said lining and pull it between the rollers away from the gizzard, said frame having an opening therein below said rollers to allow said linings to drop therethrough and a discharge conveyor to the other side of the other of said rollers to receive the processed gizzards.

6. A device for removing the lining from poultry gizzards, said device including a frame, a pair of rollers each having a plurality of spaced annular ridges thereabout, said ridges having two sides and a gizzard supporting surface on the periphery between the two sides, said rollers being journaled of one roller interdigitating with the ridges of the other roller with the sides of the ridges of one roller immediately adjacent the sides of the ridges of the other roller with an interstice therebetwee'n, power means connected to said rollers to rotate said rollers in opposite directions of rotation, and a comb meshing with each of said rollers rial tending to adhere thereto.

7. A device for removing the lining from poultry gizzards, said device including a frame, a pair of rollers each having a plurality of spaced annular ridges thereabout, said ridges having two sides and a gizzard supporting surface about the periphery between the two sides, said ridges having a roughened periphery, said rollers being journaled in said frame with the ridges of one roller interdigitating with the ridges of the other roller with the sides of the ridges of one roller immediately adjacent the sides of the in said frame with the ridges the axis of the roller,

ridges of the other roller with an interstice therebetween, and power means connected to said rollers to rotate said rollers in opposite directions of rotation.

8. A device for removing the try gizzards, said device including a frame, a pair of rollers each having a plurality of spaced annular ridges thereabout, said rollers being journaled in said frame with the ridges of one roller interdigitating with the ridges of the other roller, said ridges having a gizzard supporting surface on the periphery thereof and a plurality of grooves across said surface, said grooves being positioned substantially parallel to the portions of said periphery intermediate said grooves being knurled, the ridges of each roller being only slightly smaller in thickness than the distance between the ridges of the other roller to form an interstice therebetween, and power means connected to said rollers to rotate said rollers in opposite directions of rotation.

9. A device for removing the lining from poul try gizzards, said device including a frame, a pair of rollers each having a plurality of spawd annular ridges thereabout, said ridges having a to strip the rollers of mategizzard supporting surface on the periphery thereof and with transverse grooves spaced about said surface, said ridges having a pair of sides transverse to said roller, said rollers being Journaled in said frame with the ridges of one roller interdigitating with the ridges of the other roller with the sides of the ridges of one roller immediately adjacent the sides of the ridges of the other roller with an interstice therebetween, and power means connected to said rollers to rotate said rollers in opposite directions of rotation.

10. A device for removing the lining from poultry gizzards, said device including a frame, a pair of rollers journaled in said frame, each of said rollers having a plurality of annular ridges thereabout forming grooves therebetween with the ridges of one roller fitting into the grooves of the other roller, said ridges having a face, at least a portion of which is generally parallel to the roller, each of said ridges being only slightly smaller inthickness than the distancebetween the two ridges with which it interdigitates on the other roller to provide a small clearance between the sides of adjacent interdigitating ridges, the

radius of each of said ridges plus the radius at the base of the groove into which the ridge fits being slightly smaller than the distance between the longitudinal axes of the two rollers to provide a small clearance between the ridge and the base of the groove, said ridges having a plurality of notches in the periphery thereof, the notches in the ridges of one roller being sta gered with respect to the notches in the ridges of the other roller, the portions of said periphery intermediate said notches being knurled, plates projecting to either side of the upper portions of said two rollers in planes substantially parallel to the longitudinal axes of said rollers, and power means connected to said rollers to rotate said rollers in opposite directions with the interdigitating portions of the rollers turning downwardly.

. 11. A device for removing the lining from poultry gizzards, said device including a frame, a pair of rollers, each of said rollers having a plurality of annular ridges thereabout forming groove therebetween, said rollers being journaled in said frame with the ridges ofone roller fitlining from poul- 7 ting into the grooves of the other roller, said ridges having a face at least a portion of which is generally parallel to the roller, each said ridges being only slightly smaller in thickness than the distance between the two ridges on the other roller with which it interdigitates to provide only a small clearance between adjacent interdigitating ridges, said ridges having a plurality of transverse grooves in the face thereof,

-said face intermediate of said grooves being knurled, and power means connected to said rollers to rotate said rollers in opposite directions of rotation.

12. In a device for removing the lining from poultry gizzards, a pair of rollers, each of said rollers having a plurality of annular-like ridges thereabout forming grooves therebetween with the ridges of one roller fitting into the grooves of the other roller, said ridges having a face, at least one portion of which is generally parallel to the roller, and being only slightly smaller in thickness than the distance between the two ridges of the other roller with which it interdigitates to provide a small clearance between adjacent interdigitating ridges, and power means connected to said rollers to rotate said rollers in opposite directions of rotation.

13. A pair of rollers for use with a. frame ha ing bearings thereon and a power means to rotate said rollers in opposite directions of rotation, each of said rollers having a plurality of spaced annular ridges of generally cylindrical oonflguration thereabout, said ridges having two sides and a gz'zzard supporting surface on the periphery between the two sides, said rollers having axle means projecting from the rollers whereby said rollers may be'mounted in said bearings with the ridges of one roller interdigitating with the ridges of the other roller, the distance between said two sides of each ridge being only slightly smaller than the distance between the two ridges with which the ridge interdigitates to provide a small clearance between the adjacent interdigitating ridges.

14. A pair of rollers for use with a frame having bearings thereon and a power means to 1'0- tate said rollers in opposite directions of rotation, each of said rollers having a plurality of spaced annular-like ridges thereabout, said ridges having two sides and a gizzard supporting surface on the periphery between the two sides, said surface being generally convex, said rollers having axle means projecting from the rollers whereby said rollers may be mounted in said bearings with the ridges of one roller interdigitating with the ridges of the other roller, the distance between said two sides of each ridge being only slightly smaller than the distance between the two ridges with which the ridge interdigitates to provide a small clearance between the adjacent interdigitating ridges.

15. A device for removing the lining from poultry gizzards, said device including a frame, a pair of rollers each having a plura ity of spaced annular ridges of generally cylindrical confi uration thereabout, said ridges having two sides and a gizzard supporting surface on the periphery between the two sides, said rollers being iournaled in said frame with the ridges of one roller interdigitating with the ridges of the other roller with the sides of the ridges of one roller immediately adiacent the sides of the ridges of the other roller with an interstice therebetween in the order of about .0015 of an inch, and power means connected to said rollers to rotate said rollers in opposite directions of rotation.

MERRI'I'I I. DARROW. GUY R. BIDDINGER. WILLIAM J. PAI'I'ERSDN.

References Cited in the file of this patent or the original patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 625,739 Buerk May 30, 1899 2,008,326 Harvey July 16, 1935 2,103,002 Faber Dec. 21, 1937 2,150,192 Sander Mar. 14, 1939 2,171,611 Tolman et al. Sept. 5, 1939 2,251,801 Plitt, Sr., et al. Aug. 5, 1941 2,290,812 Norman July 21, 1942 2,398,636 Henney et al. Apr. 16, 1946 2,477,289 De Moss July 26, 1949 2,493,707 Weber Jan. 3, 1950 2,545,718 Weber Mar. 20, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 179,385 Germany Dec. 1, 1906 

